Shaft-reciprocated debarking tool



' April 21, 1959 J. N. WHITAKE R SHA -RECIPROCATED DEBARKING TOOL M TEDIN SWINGABLE G I EWAY Filed March INVENTOR. JAMES N. WHITAKER UnitedStates Patent SHAFT-RECIPROCATED DEBARKING TOOL MOUNTED IN SWINGABLEGUIDEWAY James Navarro Whitaker, He'aldsburg, Calif.

Application March 5, 1956, Serial No. 569,318

Claims. (Cl. 144-208) The present invention relates to an improveddevice for removing bark from logs, and more particularly, aims toprovide such a device of simple and rigid construction which, by asimple change of tools, can effectively debark both redwood 'and firlogs.

With the above and still more particular objects and advantages in viewand which will each appear and be understood in the course of thefollowing description and claims, the invention consists in the novelconstruction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical sectional view of one ofmy peeler units equipped with the redwooddebarking tool and in operationon a log and corresponds to the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation to a reduced scale of a gang ofmy peeler units operatively mounted on a shaft.

Fig. 3 is -a fragmentary front elevation of a guide head and relatedstructure taken similarly as in Fig. 2 with parts broken away andenlarged.

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the redwoodand fir-debarkingtools, respectively.

Referring to the drawings, it is seen that a longitudinal shaft 30carries a gang of my peeler units. This shaft should be adjustable sothat it may be shifted to suit the diameter of the log from which thebark is to be peeled.

Each peeler unit has a pair of parallel spaced arms 17 which are freelyjournaled at one end on the shaft 30 by bosses 18 so that the shaft canturn with respect to the arms. The other end of the arms has an elbowbridged at the outside by a flange 29 (Fig. 1) and making a rigidconnection with a guide head 31. It will be noted that the inside ofthis elbow is directed toward the log 14 to be peeled. This log may bechucked in any suitable manner for rotation in the direction indicatedin Fig. 1 and about a longitudinal axis parallel to the shaft 30.

The guide head 31 has a longitudinal guide slot 16 of rectangular crosssection extending therethrough from a bull-nose for selectivelyreceiving peeler tools or 27, the former tool being designed primarinlyfor redwood and the latter being suitable for fir. The tool 15 has arouded guide nose 15a for engaging the peeled surface of the log andfollowing the contours thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, this serves toposition a pointed barkremoving wedge which projects forwardly from thetool 15 and keeps it from digging into the log. The wedge 20 can beproduced as an insert piece as shown. The tool 27, on the other hand,has a flat chisel edge 28 and for its intended function does not need aguide nose.

As best shown in Figs. 4-5, the tools 15, 27 each have a pair ofapertured forks 33 for pivotally receiving a link 34 at 35. This link isin turn pivotally connected at 36 to 'a pair of bell cranks 22 whichhave a pivotal connection by a pin 23 with the arms 17 at their elbow. Arod is located between the arms 17 and makes a pivotal connection 37 bya necked end with the bell cranks 22. At its other end the rod 25 has aboss which is journaled on a respective eccentric 12 which is fixedlymounted on the shaft 30. It will be apparent from the foregoing that asthe shaft 30 is turned the peeling tools 15 or 27 will be respo'nsivelyreciprocated within their guide heads 31. This reciprocating movementwill result in bark-removing forces supplementing the forces otherwiseexerted on the bark 26 by the tools due to the turning of the log 14.From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the throws of the eccentrics 12 arestaggered circumferentially of the shaft 30 so that the tools of thedebarking units will not be acting with full force on the bark at thesame time. In this manner the power requirement for shaft 30 isminimized.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood fromthe foregoing detailed description of my now-preferred embodiments.Changes in the details of construction will suggest themselves and Iaccordingly intend that no limitations be implied and that the heretoannexed claims be given the broadest interpretation which the employedlanguage fairly permits.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new is:

1. An improved device for peeling logs comprising, a shaftjournal-mounted about an axis of rotation spaced outwardly from and inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of a log rotatable on itssaid axis, a bark-removing tool, a guide-head assembly swiveled at oneend about said axis of rotation and having its other end slidablyreceiving said tool with the latter extending endwise beyond saidassembly for contacting a log being peeled, and means eccentricallyjournaled on said shaft and operatively connected with said tool forimparting endwise reciprocating movement to the tool relative to saidguidehead assembly.

2. An improved device for peeling logs comprising, a shaftjournal-mounted about an axis of rotation spaced outwardly from and inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of a log rotatable on itssaid axis, a bark-removing tool, a guide head slidably receiving saidtool with the latter extending endwise beyond one end of the guide headfor contacting a log being peeled, an arm extending by one of its endsrigidly from the other end of said guide head at an obtuse angle withrespect thereto and having its other end swiveled about said axis ofrotation, said obtuse angle being directed toward the log, and meanseccentrically journaled on said shaft and pivotally operativelyconnected with said tool for imparting endwise reciprocating movement tothe tool relative to said guide head.

3. An improved device for peeling logs comprising, a shaftjournal-mounted about an axis of rotation spaced outwardly from and inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of a log rotatable on itssaid axis, a bark-removing tool, a guide-head slidably receiving saidtool with the latter extending endwise beyond one end of the guide headfor contacting a log being peeled, a pair of trans versely spaced armsextending by one of their ends rigidly from the other end of said guidehead and having their other ends swiveled about said of rotation, a rodlocated between said arms and eccentrically journaled by one end on saidshaft, the other end of said rod being operatively interconnected withthe other end of said tool for imparting endwise reciprocating movementto the tool relative to said guide head.

4. An improved device for peeling logs comprising, a shaftjournal-mounted about an axis of rotation spaced outwardly from and inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of a log rotatable on itssaid axis, a bark-removing tool, a guide head slidably receiving saidtool with the latter extending endwise beyond one end of the guide headfor contacting a log being peeled, a pair of parallel,

spaced elbow arms extending by one of their ends rigidly at an elbowfrom the other end of said guide head with the inside of such elbowbeingdirected toward such log and having their other endsswiveled aboutsaid axis of rotation, a rod located between said arms and eccentricallyjournaled by one end on said shaft, and a bellcrank pivoted to said armsat said elbow and operativel'y pivotally interconnected to the other endof said rod and to the other end of said tool for imparting endwisereciprocating movement to the tool relative to said guide head.

5. An improved device for peeling logs comprising, a shaftjournal-mounted about an axis of rotation spaced outwardly from and inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of a log rotatable'on itssaid axis, a bark-removing tool, a guide head having an endwise guideslot therethrough slidably receiving said tool with the latter extendingendwise by a bark-peeling edge beyond one end of the guide head forcontacting a log being peeled, an arm extending rigidly by an elbowatone of its ends from the other end of said guide-head with the insideof such elbow being directed toward such log, the other end of said armbeing swiveled about said axis of rotation, a bell crank pivotallymounted at said elbow, a rod eccentrically journaled on said shaft andpivotally connected to said bell crank, and a link pivotallyinterconnecting said bell crank and the other end of said tool, wherebyreciprocating endwise movement is imparted to the tool relative to theguide head responsive to turning of the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,520,274 Cline Aug. 29, 1950 2,676,628 Hastain Apr. 27, 1954 2,689,590Whitaker Sept. 21, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 84,363 Norway Mar. 7, 1955523,060 Germany Apr. 18, 1931

